During our 2008 Forgotten Grapes Wine Tour of Burgundy and Beaujolais, our group stayed at a bed- and-breakfast in Saint-Amour and we fell in love with this most northerly of all of the Beaujolais Cru (in case you don’t know, all red Beaujolais wines are made from the Gamay grape, and the best grapes in the region are found in 10 designated appellations called Cru). It also helped that during a tasting with the town’s mayor (a winemaker in his own right), he learned one couple on our trip was having a make- up honeymoon, and he marched us over to his office to officially recognize and affirm their marriage, a tradition in Saint-Amour. As he told us later, they were the first Americans ever to have their marriage affirmed there. Suffice to say, we have a soft spot for Saint-Amour in our hearts. Fortunately, Saint-Amour’s wines always deliver, and the Gaec des Duc is no exception. Robust and refined with rich black cherries and a soft but filling mouth feel, it’s a Beaujolais that can hold some age. If you only know Beaujolais from the light, bright, simple and brightly-labeled Beaujolais Nouveau wines trotted out every November, you owe it to yourself to check out the more refined, more luxurious side of Beajolais with this Saint-Amour wine.